Inmate Testifies Why He Killed Molester Priest

Published: January 24, 2006

The prisoner who strangled the child-molesting priest John J. Geoghan behind bars testified Monday that he had resolved to kill him after Mr. Geoghan arrogantly brushed off criticism that he had ''destroyed all kinds of lives.''

The witness, Joseph Druce, took the stand a second day at his trial for killing Mr. Geoghan, who was serving time for groping a 10-year-old boy, had been accused of molesting 150 other children and had been defrocked. Mr. Druce, who is already serving a life sentence for another killing, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, arguing that his own molestation as a child and years in prison had filled him with rage.

Mr. Druce, 40, said that in the weeks before the killing, he twice confronted Mr. Geoghan, then 68, about the former priest's molesting children. Mr. Geoghan was ''arrogant'' and said he was worth far more than the millions that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston had paid to settle lawsuits involving his offenses, Mr. Druce testified.

Mr. Druce said he had overheard Mr. Geoghan talking on the phone to his sister, as well as engaged in conversations with other prisoners, about plans to move to South America once he was released so he could work with children again.

Once, Mr. Druce said, he heard Mr. Geoghan discussing with other prisoners how to molest young boys.

''That just, like, freaked me out,'' he said.

He said that during one conversation, he told Mr. Geoghan: ''You're bankrupting the archdiocese. You're costing them $10 million'' -- a reference to the amount the church had paid to settle lawsuits.

Mr. Geoghan replied, ''I'm worth $20 million,'' Mr. Druce said.

During a later conversation, Mr. Druce said, he told Mr. Geoghan that in molesting 150 to 200 children, he had ''destroyed all kinds of lives.'' Mr. Geoghan responded, ''I'm worth 300 of them,'' the witness testified.

When asked by his lawyer why he had killed Mr. Geoghan, Mr. Druce referred to his claims that he had been molested as a child.

''I wanted to get the thoughts out of my mind of being molested myself, and the arrogant way he answered my questions,'' Mr. Druce said.

He also said he had wanted to ''make a statement.''

''I had seen myself as the designated individual who had to put a stop to the pedophilia in the church,'' he said.

The judge in the case, Francis R. Fecteau of Worcester Superior Court, told the jurors Monday that they would hear closing arguments and begin deliberating on Thursday.